Inmates With "Nothing to Lose" Have Taken a Guard Hostage

Police say a group of Ohio inmates managed to overtake one of their guards and are currently holding him hostage inside the jail facility.

Police say three Trumbull County Jail inmates, David Martin, Richard Ware, and Kevin Johns grabbed the officer inside a "pod area" and barricaded themselves off from the rest of the jail around 3:35 pm.

According to WKBN, the trio used bedsheets to tie the doors to the pod shut, "so that if anyone tries to open the door, it ties tighter."

Officials said three inmates tackled and handcuffed a corrections officer on the third floor of the jail. The inmates are holding the officer hostage, and throughout Wednesday afternoon a peace officer has been negotiating with them to get a safe & peaceful ending.

David Martin, awaiting trial for murder, called a Cleveland television station, shortly after taking the officer hostage, and said he had a shank to the correction officer's throat.

Martin, the apparent ring-leader, is currently on trial for murder, and could face the death penalty if found guilty. Ware is still awaiting trial for aggravated robbery, and Johns was recently convicted of rape and kidnapping.

TheNew York Daily Newsreports that Martin was able to call local reporters, telling them that he has "nothing to lose" and "wants his story told." According to WFMJ, there were reports "about a month ago" that Martin had threatened that something would happen before his trial began.

An officer answering phones at the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office around 6:45 pm said the hostage situation is still ongoing.